Picture frame



Patented @et 28, 1924.

Uhllyl@ TIS 1,513,050 natuur carica,

FRANK J'. KRISTOFEK, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TOBROWN &VBIGELOW, F ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

rrorunn FRAME,

application inea May ze, 1920. serian No 385,275.

To all yfui/0m t may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK J. KRisrorEK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State f, of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Picture Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in picture frames particularly made of cardboard or other suitable material where it .is desired to provide an attractive frame and support for a picture so that it can be displayed in a neat and effective manner.

rlhe invention constitutes a picture frame i which forms a border for the picture, and a supporting back and is of an inexpensive design, easy to manufacture from a single piece of material with the molding of the frame formed of a suitable shape to attractively display the picture supported by the frame.

A feature of the invention is in lithographing the front surface of the cardboard constituting` the picture frame so as to simulate wood or other material ordinarily used for picture frames. This feature with the undivided front face of the picture frame simplifies and adds to the attractiveness 'of the picture frame, while materially reducing the expense of manufacturing the same.

In the drawings forming part of this specification Figure l is a front view of a picture frame as it would appear in use, a portion a5 of the picture being broken 'away to disclose the construction of the frame.

Figure 2 is a sect-ion on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan View of a geometrical au development of the picture frame as formed by the blanking and scoring dies.

Figure 4 is a detail of a portion of the picture frame.

Figure 5 is a detail of one of the corners l5 of the back of the picture frame.

In the drawing the picture frame A is formed of a suitable shape out of a single piece 10 of cardboard or other material7 which when formed into the desired shape is stiff enough to support and display a picture. rfhe picture frame A is blanked out into the form as illustrated in Figure 3 from a piece of cardboard, the front or outer face 11 of which is lithographed or printed upon to simulate the grain of Wood or other suitable materia-l or to simulate any suitable design for the molding of t-he picture frame. It is important in theconstruction of my frame to provide printing or lithographing on the front face 11 of the saine so as to materially reduce the expense in the manufacture of the same. In this manner ordinary cardboard can be artistically decorated to so closely simulate wood or other material that it is hard to detect the dierence from a distance by the eye of the observer. In this manner the picture frame can be formed of one piece of cardboard blanked out when desired in the form illustrated in Figure 3.

When the portion 10 of the picture frame Ais blanked out vit is scored along the lines f 12, while the corners of the outer edges are cut away on an angle at 18 with a right angular corner 14 so that when the ends or flaps 15 ofthe sides of the member 10 are folded backward the angular edges 18 form af'miter-joint at eachcorner on the back of the frame.

In the construction of the frame A, as illustrated by the blank form 1() in the geometrical development of the frame, the central portion '16, which yis'rectangular in shape, is adapted to form a support for a picture 17, which is pasted or otherwise suitably attached to the front face 11 of the frame. The flaps 15 are formed projecting from each of the sides of the blank form 10 and when the same is scored along the lines 12, as villustrated in Figure 3, the fra-me A can be folded so as to form a border or molding portion 18 projecting outward about the central portion 16, as illustrated in Figure 2., while the flaps 15 are folded to extend in a plane parallel to the portion 16 and the free ends att-ached by suitable wire staples 19. It is obvious by changing the scoring of the cardboard member 10 that the molding 18 of the frame can be formed of a suitable shape, but it is an important feature of the invention not to divide or out the front face of the frame A along the bisecting angle at the corners indicated at 20, thus giving a smooth linished appearance to the front face of the frame.

The formation of the cardboard l() with undivided bisecting corners is accomplished by moistening the cardboard and then pressing it into shape over a suitable form. The cardboard may also be exposed to live steam While being formed into the desired shape. All of this formation is of ordinary Well known construction and not illustrated in the drawing.

The staples 19 are imbedded or undersunk into the body of the material 4of the frame, as illust-rated in Figure 4, so that the picture 17 can be attached over the staples Without the staples showing through the picture after it as been attached. The staples rigidly attach the free flaps 15 of the frame against theback 21 of the same and it is obvious that the flaps l5 can be attached to the back in any suitable manner, it being an essential feature ,of the invention that the flaps be rigidly or securely attached to the back 21, thus leaving the front face ofthe picture frame smooth and free of any dividing portions to detract from the neat, tidy appearance of the same. The picture 1'?, when attached to the central portion 16 of the frame A, conceals the staples 19 from vieW.

The picture frame A is easy to manufacture, attractive ink appearance and forms a ,rigid supporting frame With a reinforcing and display molding V18 about the same, While suitable holes 22 and 23 formed in the end and side flaps 15 form a recess for attaching the frame to a h ook so that it can be ,supported on the Wall when desired. By

iihographing the desired linish on the outer or front face of the frame a very economical means is provided for forming a picture frame to simulate Wood or other suitable material.

In accordance With the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation ci my invention, together with the apparatus which I novv consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth Within the scope of the `following claims:

1. A picture frame formed of cardboard, having a suitable conguration printed or lithographed on the front face thereof to simulate a design and a molding having undivided mitered corners on its front face about the central portion of said face, the central portion of said frame being adapted to receive a picture.

2. A picture frame formed from a single piece of cardboard, having its front face lithographed to simulate a design, a central picture receiving poi-tion, a molding formed about said central portion with undivided mitered corners on the front face thereof, said molding being adapted to project outwardly from the central picture receiving portion of said frame and countersunlr staple means adapted to hold the eiges of said frame overlapped over the back thereof with a smc-oth, front, central face for receiving a picture.

3. A picture frame formed of a single piece of cardboard, including a front face lithographed to simulate a design, said front face having a smooth, undivided contour over its entire face, and a molding formed about the central portion of said front face, said molding being undivided at the corners.

FRANK J. KRISTOFEK. 

